Community Foundation names Wheeler interim CEO

Robert Wheeler, a respected, long-time community and business leader, has been named interim chief executive and operating officer of the Mt. Pleasant Area Community Foundation.

He will begin working with donors and overseeing operations immediately, while outgoing CEO/COO Amanda Schafer wraps up her transition efforts by the end of the month.

Wheeler had a 39-year career in local banking, including with Chemical Bank, Firstbank and Mercantile Bank, from which he retired in 2016 as senior vice president. He went on to work at Mt. Pleasant Abstract & Title, retiring a second time in 2021.

Wheeler helped create the Community Foundation in 1990 and is its longest-serving trustee. He will step down from that role at the end of December, having served 32 years.

“Bob has boundless compassion for our community and for the Foundation,” Board Chair Cheryl Gaudard said. “He has stepped forward with his characteristic benevolence, accepting this role yet refusing compensation for it.”

Wheeler and his wife, Nancy, administrative officer of the MPACF, have an endowed fund through the Foundation in memory of their son, Andy, and another that supports the Boy Scouts of America.

Wheeler was named Mt. Pleasant’s Citizen of the Year in 2012, following in the footsteps of his grandfather, George Wheeler (1967 recipient), and stepgrandfather, Charles Anspach (1976 recipient). He is an active member and past president of the Mt. Pleasant Rotary Club and has served on numerous other local nonprofit boards.

Marcie Otteman, who begins as Foundation board chair in January, said Wheeler was a unanimous choice for the interim role. “Our donors hold Bob in high regard, and he clearly values the incredible impact they make in our community. Amanda has nurtured tremendous growth in Foundation endowments, and Bob has the leadership, connections and will to continue that,” Otteman said.

Schafer announced her resignation last month. During her 13 years with the Foundation, it grew to surpass $30 million in assets. Since its creation in 1990, the MPACF has awarded more than $10 million in grants and scholarships — including $1.1 million this year.

“I want to thank Amanda for all of her efforts,” Wheeler said. “It is an honor to continue the momentum and to help more residents leave a legacy that will benefit our community forever.

“This foundation, and the good it does, is exactly what we envisioned in 1990,” he said. “The people and businesses of Mt. Pleasant are incredibly generous. And whether their gifts are large or small, they combine to fuel extraordinary, cumulative impact.”

A search for the next CEO is underway; a job posting can be found on the Foundation website.

The Mt. Pleasant Area Community Foundation seeks to enhance the quality of life for all citizens of Isabella County, now and for generations to come, by attracting and holding permanent endowed funds from a wide range of donors, addressing needs through grant making, and providing leadership on key community issues.